


Snapshots

by unicorndads



Category: Gandrew - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - School, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicorndads/pseuds/unicorndads
Summary: Andrew moves to LA as a kid and makes friends with Garrett. Snapshots of their relationship as they grow up together.
Relationships: Andrew Siwicki/Garrett Watts
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	1. Ten

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where Andrew met Garrett as kids in LA. Also, everyone is the same age literally just to make things easier for me lol. 
> 
> Trigger warning: There are very vague references to past abuse.  
> This is just for the AU; I am not claiming to know anything about Andrew's family dynamic. In fact, I've heard good things, so obviously Andrew having an abusive dad is only for this story. 
> 
> This story came to be after a lighthearted drabble (not a somewhat angsty multi-chapter fic, mind you) was requested of me based on the prompts: an incredibly loud and painful high-five, accidentally knocking your head into someone's chin, and confusing a handshake for a fist bump. I never thought I would write a story about Andrew and Garrett as kids/teens, so shoutout to this anon for helping me branch out a little. I hope it's everything you might want. <3
> 
> No disrespect to Garrett or Andrew. I love both of them. They are my dads even if they aren't an irl couple.

Cries of joy echoed around the playground as kids clumped together and chased one another. The sun peeked through wispy clouds as a light breeze blew across the schoolyard. Near the entrance of the building, Andrew held back, standing by the teacher; he would have gone as far as hiding behind her skirt if he was brave enough. He counted in his head as he took in this scary new environment.

He jumped as his new teacher placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, squatting down to his level. "Andrew, why don't you go play?"

Andrew looked down at his feet. "I don't know anyone," he mumbled. 

"Not yet," she reminded him kindly. Her soft voice made Andrew feel more comfortable the moment he heard it, when she introduced him to the class that morning. "It's your first day. That's the best time to make new friends." 

Andrew swallowed and nodded, knowing he shouldn't argue with authority figures. His dad taught him that early on, before his mom took him away to California in the middle of the night. 

"Why don't you try saying hi to...hmm..." his teacher continued, scanning over her students. "Oh, Garrett! He can make friends with anyone." 

Andrew looked up to where his teacher was now pointing and saw a tall boy with dirty blond hair. He was surrounded by a couple of other kids underneath the tree he was currently hanging onto as he spoke to them animatedly. Andrew was intimidated by the size of the group and the confidence seemingly coming from Garrett, but he felt he couldn't refuse. "Okay. Thank you, miss." 

"Have fun, Andrew. I'm here if you need anything else, okay?" 

Andrew nodded and ran away, toward the group of kids, keeping his eyes on the green grass beneath his feet. He stopped a few feet away, fists clenched at his sides. He was too nervous to look up and actually try to engage with the group, but his head shot up when he heard a voice call out: 

"You're the new kid!" It was the boy with the dirty blond hair. Garrett. He was moving closer, a wide grin on his face. 

Andrew stepped back and nodded, taken aback at how pleased Garrett looked to see him. "Um, ya. My name's Andrew." He stuck a hand out, the way his dad would have ordered him to.

Garrett suddenly flew a fist toward him and Andrew quickly pulled away with a flinch. His eyes squeezed shut as he braced himself for the impact. 

He was met laughter. Confused, he opened his eyes to see that the rest of the group had come closer, too, giggling at what seemed to be a misunderstanding. He inhaled slowly and forced himself to straighten up, glad no one seemed to be thrown off by his reaction. 

"I'm sorry, Andrew!" Garrett was saying, voice raising an octave. "I was going in for a fist bump! But I guess you're too proper, huh?" 

There was no malice in his voice and Andrew gave him a small smile. He felt strangely comfortable around this stranger, or as comfortable as he could be given the situation. "I dunno about that," he mumbled. 

"Where did you come from?" 

"Illinois." 

"Neat! I have no idea where that is." 

The group began to giggle again and Andrew found himself joining in. 

"Your laugh is cool!" a girl with brown hair commented. 

Andrew felt himself flushing. He personally hated it; it was annoying, just like his dad said. "Oh. Uh-" 

"Ya, I like it!" Garrett chimed in, causing another smile to start on Andrew's lips. "Oh! I never introduced myself! I'm Garrett. And this is Caleb, Ricky, Shan, Chris, Matt, and Gabbie." Each person blurted out a "Hi!" or just waved as they were mentioned. 

A short boy with an impish grin stepped forward. "We were getting ready to play tag. Wanna join?" 

Andrew heart swelled with joy - he was never really included back home. No one ever asked him to join, and he was always too scared to ask to join. "Y-ya, okay." 

Garrett reached out and pushed on Andrew's shoulder, his touch surprisingly light. "You're it!" he cried out happily before turning tail and running away. The rest of the group scattered and Andrew hesitated only a moment before running himself, his mouth split into a large grin.

Despite some of the other kids being physically closer, Andrew zeroed in on the apparent ringleader and the one with the friendliest smile he had ever seen. He raced toward the tall boy, heart pounding, hopeful that one day he could be lucky enough to consider himself Garrett's friend.


	2. Twelve

_"Andrew Siwicki to the front office."_

The announcement overhead cut the conversation Andrew was having with Garrett short. They were the last two of their friend group left at school; Andrew's mom told him she would be late picking him up, and Garrett decided to wait with him before walking home.

"Ooh, you're in trouble," Garrett teased with a smirk.

Andrew forced out a giggle, though he felt a wave of anxiety. His mind raced to try to remember what he had done wrong.

Not seeming to notice, Garrett stood and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Come on. Let's see what they want."

Andrew silently got to his feet and picked up his own bag before following Garrett to the front of the school. He felt a sense of dread the closer they got, and he wasn't sure why.

He entered the office, Garrett hot on his heels. He turned to the woman at the front desk questioningly.

"Andrew, you dad is here to pick you up," she told him kindly.

It felt like Andrew's heart stopped entirely as his eyes drifted over and up. His blood ran cold as he saw the dark eyes of a man staring down at him. His father. Andrew began to shake; he couldn't have controlled it if he tried. "How did you find me?" he whispered.

"Andrew, son," his dad called out cheerfully, taking a step forward. His smile was forced, his face tight with masked anger.

Andrew took two steps back. "What are you doing here?" he asked, a bit louder this time.

"I'm here to pick you up."

"No. Mom is going to." Andrew took another step back, his voice trembling. He feared for a split second that his dad was telling the truth.

"Well, something came up," his dad quickly said, his words strained. His gaze flickered over to the office worker. "She called me and asked me to come instead." His eyes hardened with annoyance, demanding silence and complicity.

"That's not true! You're lying!" Andrew exploded. He didn't think about how loud he had become; he could barely hear himself over the pounding of his heart. "Where's mom? What did you do to her?"

He didn't register the looks his raised voice was causing. He didn't hear when the office worker spoke to another - _"Call Mrs. Siwicki. If she doesn't pick up, the police."_ He didn't even feel it when Garrett grabbed his hand. One moment he was focused entirely on his father in front of him, his vision blurred to everything outside of the frightening figure, and the next he was running.

He and Garrett were running out of the office and out the school. Andrew didn't have the energy or desire to ask where they were going. He just tightened his grip on Garrett's hand and kept moving, desperate to get away from his past.

It wasn't long before the two boys stopped in a park. Garrett led Andrew further into it, past some bushes and underneath a tree. He knelt down, pulling Andrew with him. "This is my neighborhood park," he explained. "I like this tree because it's a little more hidden."

Andrew threw his head against the bark and nodded, pressing a hand to his pounding heart. He was afraid it would beat right out of his chest. He closed his eyes and began to count.

Garrett stayed silent during this, which he felt a hint of gratefulness toward. He continued counting, unsure of how high he needed to go this time until he felt better.

His phone ringing interrupted his ascent to the hundreds. It was his mom. He quickly picked up. "Mom!"

 _"Honey, where are you?"_ The panic in her voice made Andrew's start again.

"I'm at Garret's, uh-. I'm with Garrett."

_"Somewhere safe?"_

"Yes."

_"Good. Stay with him, sweetie, okay? I'll call you back soon."_

"Mom, how did he find us?" Andrew's voice broke as the severity of the situation hit him once more.

_"Don't worry, honey. I'll deal with him. I'll fix it. We'll talk after, okay? I love you."_

"O-okay. Love you." The call ended and Andrew remained staring at his phone, as if expecting her to call back within the next few seconds.

"Andrew," Garrett cut in gently. "What's going on?"

Andrew dropped his phone and shut his eyes. He guessed he did owe Garrett an explanation, even though he wanted desperately to pretend nothing was wrong. "Um. When-" He paused. His voice was betraying him, wavering.

"Take your time," Garrett said softly.

Andrew took a deep breath. "When my mom and I moved to LA," he started again reluctantly, "I didn't understand why dad didn't come with us. I realize now - and I probably did know back then, I just didn't want to - that we were escaping him." 

"Why?" Garrett asked breathlessly. "You're scared of him." It wasn't a question.

"Because he hurt her."

"Did he...hurt you, too?" Garrett asked hesitantly, as if he didn't really want to know.

Andrew swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He nodded. "Not as bad," he hurried to add. He knew he was still making excuses for him, but he didn't have the energy to consider why.

"Andrew, I'm so sorry." Garrett's eyes sparkled with pity.

Andrew didn't want to see it. He turned his head away as tears began to slip between shut eyelids. He hated crying - it always made his dad angry - but the pressure behind his eyes was finally too much.

As if realizing he was holding back, Garrett put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay to cry. And you can talk to me about it more, if you want."

"I don't," Andrew sniffled, wiping aggressively at his eyes. He had to admit, though, that he felt a sense of relief at the offer, and the permission.

"That's okay. I'll just sit here with you then?" 

Andrew nodded quickly, a flare of panic rising in his chest at the mere thought of Garrett leaving. "Please," he whispered. "Stay."

"Ya, of course. I won't leave you alone with him around, don't worry." Garrett stuck his jaw out with determination and Andrew almost felt the urge to laugh.

"Thank you," is what he said instead. He exhaled slowly and let his eyes drift shut again. The adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off. Despite his still elevated heart rate, he felt safe enough now to let his guard down and allow exhaustion to fill every fiber of his being. 

Andrew jerked awake who knows how many minutes later, the sound of his phone ringing sounding like an air horn. It continued to ring in the background as he felt an immediate, sharp pain in the top of his head. Wincing, he held his head in his hands and rubbed at the sore spot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Garrett with a pained expression of his own, rubbing his chin. 

As he tried to piece together what just happened, he realized that his phone had stopped ringing, only to begin again a second later. He grappled with his phone and answered. "Hello?"

_"Andrew! I was so worried."_

"Oh. Sorry mom," he grumbled, still trying to soothe his tender head. "I fell asleep." On Garrett's shoulder, he realized. He had hit his head on Garrett's pointy chin.

_"It's okay, honey. I'm glad you're safe. Everything's okay now. I'm gonna come find you, okay?"_

"Okay."

_"Text me the address, okay?"_

"Yes, mom. He, uh-" Andrew hesitated. "He won't hurt us anymore, right?"

_"No, sweetie. Never again. I promise."_

"O-okay. Love you, mom."

 _"I love you, too. Text me the address."_

"Okay. Bye." Andrew hung up and stared off into the distance. The heaviness in his chest from earlier returned, seeming out of place this time.

"Wow, you've got a hard head," Garrett began teasing now that Andrew was off the phone, rubbing his chin exaggeratedly.

"Ya," Andrew murmured, not really registering the words.

Garrett stopped and his grin fell. "What's up? Everything okay with your mom?"

Andrew sighed and looked down at his hands. He wished there was something he could use to distract himself. He settled on digging his nails into his skin. "Ya. Just-." He let out another heavy sigh.

"What?" Garrett prompted gently.

"She promised that last time. That we were free of him."

Garrett reached out and peeled Andrew's fingers back. He left their hands connected, and Andrew did, too. "She thought you were. She just wanted you to feel safe, because that's what moms are supposed to do: make you feel safe. She did what she could to protect you from him; it's not her fault he decided to come here. Don't be upset with her. The first thing she did was call and make sure you were okay, and she'll do the same any time she thinks you're in danger."

Andrew nodded, swallowing back fresh tears once more. He knew Garrett was right, but he wasn't even upset with his mom. He was upset at himself, for letting his guard down. He never even considered going through life looking over his shoulder still until he was again confronted with the man he thought he was free from. He didn't want to go back to being scared.

"And now that you have me, there's _two_ people he'll have to worry about it he tries anything else!" Garrett declared confidently.

A small giggle slipped out of Andrew's lips as he pictured his friend glaring up at an adult and giving him his piece of mind. "Thanks."

"Of course! No one's gonna hurt my best friend on my watch!" Garrett's signature wide grin made Andrew feel a lot better.

"Oh! The address!" Andrew suddenly remembered. He fumbled for his phone and all but threw it at Garrett. "Hurry, before my mom calls again."

Garrett snickered as he typed in the address of the park. And as Andrew watched him, he was hit with a wave of gratitude. He couldn't imagine what life would be like if he has stayed in Illinois with his dad, rather than moving to LA and finding a friend who truly cared.


	3. Fourteen

Andrew tried to shake his nerves away as the door he had just knocked on pulled open. A blonde woman with kind eyes stepped forward and looked down at him with a smile. "Hello, Andrew," she greeted, a hint a shock in her voice. "Garrett didn't tell me you were coming over."

"Oh, uh, I uh-. He doesn't know. I wanted, uh-" Andrew looked away and took a deep breath, trying to formulate his thoughts in a way that made sense without giving too much away.

"Oh, a surprise!" Garrett's mom cut in kindly, maybe even knowingly, eyes sparkling. "How nice. Well, he's in his room." She backed up to allow Andrew to enter. "Would you like a drink or snack, honey?"

Andrew followed her inside, already less nervous. Garrett was very much like his mom in that they both made him feel at ease, just in the way that they were. "Thank you, Mrs. Watts. But, um, no. I'm okay. Thanks." Andrew smiled up at her before quickly hurrying past toward Garrett's room.

He paused once more before knocking hesitantly. What if Garrett didn't want to see him? Why else would he seem to be avoiding him and all their other friends these past few days?

But right away Garrett called out cheerfully: "Come in!"

Andrew opened the door and stepped inside. Garrett's eyes widened in shock, and then shot away. His smile turned into a frown. Andrew froze and almost ran back out.

"Hey, Andrew," Garrett said before he could, keeping him there. "What's up?"

"What's up? What's up with you?" Andrew asked, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Why-why are you acting like this?"

Still, Garrett refused to look at him. "Like what?" There was no inflection in his voice like there should have been.

"Like this! Like you don't...wanna be around me anymore. Or anyone, for that matter!"

Garrett flinched. "Keep your voice down," he pleaded.

Andrew crossed his arms. "Only if you tell me."

Garrett finally looked back up at him. Andrew had never seen him look so miserable. "Fine. Sit down." Andrew obliged while Garrett went to close his door, peeking around it first as if making sure no one else was near. 

Garrett slowly walked back over to his bed and settled down next to Andrew. He was once again looking anywhere but his face. "It's nothing, really. I just-. I'm not..."

"Not what?"

"I'm not good!" Garrett cried out, voice thick with emotion. "I'm not who you think I am!"

"Whoa." Andrew raised his hands up, both in shock and placatingly. "What do you mean? Where is this coming from?"

"I-. I'm-. I just-. I-. I-. I'm, uh-. I-."

It was an almost scary sight, watching Garrett struggle to find the words. Andrew had seen Garrett tongue-tied many times before, but never to such an extent that he couldn't get any words out.

Eventually Garrett just stopped talking all together, his breathing ragged. He stared straight ahead, his hands clenched into fists around his bedsheets.

"It's-it's okay, Garrett." Andrew tried to sound reassuring, but Garrett remained tense. "Whatever you're gonna say, it's okay. I just want to know why you're acting so strange. What I apparently don't know about you."

Garrett took a deep breath, risking a peek in Andrew's direction. "Okay," he breathed out hoarsely. "I'm-. I think...that I...am..." Once more Garrett seemed to choke up, wherever word he was so scared of trapped in the back of his throat.

"What?" Andrew asked softly, reaching over to cover Garrett's straining hand with his own.

Garrett ripped his hand away and brought it to his face, covering his eyes. "Gay." It was a whisper so quiet Andrew almost missed it.

"Oh." Andrew felt his heart rate quicken. He wasn't sure what he expected to hear, but that wasn't it.

"Is-is _that_ okay?" Garrett whimpered, lowering his shaking hand to stare into Andrew's eyes.

Andrew's lips parted as he thought about it. If you asked his mom, it wasn't. If you asked the church he went to, it wasn't. If you asked anyone walking down the streets of LA, there was a good chance it wasn't. But as he looked over his best friend, eyes wet with shame, he couldn't bring himself to say that. He couldn't bring himself to believe anything about Garrett could be wrong.

"Of course it's okay," he said softly. "It's always okay to be yourself."

"Really?" Silent tears began to stream down Garrett's face.

Andrew reached out to wrap him in a hug. "Really." He tightened his grip as Garrett dug his head into his neck, his cries becoming audible. He pushed away any sense of discomfort at being this close, given this new information - Garrett was still his best friend and he needed him right now.

"I-. I don't-" Garrett sniffled out.

Andrew rubbed Garrett's back. "It's okay," he repeated. "You're still the same person. You're still my friend."

Garrett's breath was hot on his neck as he tried to even out his breathing and regain his composure. Neither boy said anything or pulled away, and soon, outside of the remnants of tears staining their skin, they both seemed to have returned to a regular pulse, regular breaths, even a regular sense of normalcy.

"Please don't tell anyone," Garrett pleaded, voice raw.

"I won't," Andrew promised. He felt an itch to pull away - he wasn't used to this much prolonged contact. But he didn't, because he knew Garrett was still latching onto the comfort he was giving him.

"You're my best friend," Garrett continued in a hushed tone. "I was so scared of losing you."

"Losing me?"

"I thought you would hate who I am and decide to stop talking to me. Stop being my friend." 

"Of course I wouldn't. We're gonna be best friends forever, you know."

"Really?"

Andrew smiled at the obvious, familiar grin in Garrett's voice. He knew then that his friend would be okay. "Really." 

Garrett squeezed Andrew a bit tighter in happiness. Andrew didn't mind. He decided not to think about how unrealistic the idea was - _everyone left eventually, right?_ \- and he instead hoped it ended up being true.


	4. Sixteen

There was a knock on the door and Andrew opened it to see Ricky, who had walked over from his own place down the street. "Andrew! Ready to go?"

Andrew nodded and quickly stepped out of his home, yelling a quick goodbye to his mom over his shoulder. Ricky clasped his shoulder and began leading them to Gabbie's house.

"I can't believe my mom agreed to let me spend the night at a girl's place," Andrew commented, toying with the wrapping of the gift he was holding.

"It's probably because we're all gonna be there and not just you two." Ricky shot him a pointed grin.

Andrew nodded in agreement, ignoring his friend's obvious train of thought, and they fell into a comfortable silence until they reached Gabbie's place.

She opened the door and grabbed their arms happily, pulling them inside. "I'm so glad you could make it!" she cheered out.

Andrew and Ricky held out their presents and chorused out, "Happy birthday!"

"Aww, thank you!" Gabbie accepted the presents and stepped forward to kiss Andrew on the cheek. 

Ricky shot another grin in Andrew's direction before walking away to talk to Caleb, leaving him alone with Gabbie. He and the rest of their friends kept hinting that she was interested in him, but Andrew didn't really believe it. She was an attractive girl, and easygoing, but he never knew if she was actually flirting with him or not. She would laugh at his jokes and touch his arm and always suggest studying alone, but she also seemed to be kissing a different guy against the lockers each week. 

"Uh, thank you for inviting me," Andrew said awkwardly, turning back to her and scratching the back of his neck. 

"Of course! How could I not? Besides, my parents aren't here, so who knows what will happen tonight." Andrew tried not to think of the suggestive tone she used or the implications hanging in the air. 

"Oh, c-cool," he stuttered out.

At that moment, there was another knock on the door and he was able to walk away. He went up to Ricky and Caleb, who were talking about not talking about an upcoming test. Andrew considered joining in when he heard Garrett's voice floating through the room.

He looked back to the front door to see Garrett lifting Gabbie up in a bear hug. She squealed as he put her down and grabbed his arm, pressing her whole body against him.

Andrew looked away, feeling uncomfortable. If she did like him so much, why was she always flirting with Garrett, too? He tried not to think about it as the rest of Gabbie's guests trickled in and food became an option.

Andrew knew most of the people there, many of them in his friend group, but there were definitely more than he expected. He hoped his social battery wouldn't drain too quickly, but he seemed to always find himself somehow in conversation with someone when he wasn't chatting with Garrett or entertaining Gabbie. So by the time she pulled out her parents' alcohol and suggested sleepover games, Andrew was already regretting agreeing to stay the night.

The first game suggested, of course, was the classic spin the bottle. Gabbie downed the rest of her drink and placed the empty bottle in the middle of the floor. At her command, everyone began to assemble around it into a misshapen circle.

Gabbie called Garrett over to her and latched onto him. Andrew settled down across from them, trying not to stare. It wasn't too hard to not focus on them, though, because he was too busy freaking out internally: shockingly to everyone who found out, he had never kissed anyone before. Was he really going to let his first kiss be dictated by a beer bottle? Apparently so.

Gabbie started and kissed Caleb. Shan kissed Chris. A boy Andrew didn't really know kissed a pretty girl named Megan. EJ kissed Sarah. Other kisses were exchanged that thankfully didn't include him.

But before long, it was his turn. He gulped as he reached out to slowly turn the bottle. Taking a deep breath, he spun it as hard as he could. Maybe if he spun it fast enough, it would never stop. 

Time seemed to slow down as the bottle spun, taking what felt like hours to lose momentum. When it started to, Andrew felt his heart sink as he raised his gaze to see who the bottle looked like it would probably stop on.

Garrett was already watching him, his eyes wide. The moment they made eye contact, he visibly swallowed. He shook his head, very subtly, and Andrew had no idea what he meant by it.

Andrew tore his gaze away, feeling his heart beating in his throat. He didn't really know how to feel about having to kiss his best friend - on one hand, the familiarity made him sort of relieved, but on the other, he was afraid of disrupting their friendship.

It turned out to not be an issue, for the bottle apparently had different plans. When he looked down at it again, he saw that it had kept going, a fraction past Garrett. It was now pointing directly at Gabbie. Andrew felt just as conflicted as before.

He again began to wonder just how much Gabbie liked him as her face lit up in excitement. She straightened up, no longer leaning on Garrett, and crawled forward, an eager grin painted on her face.

Andrew braced himself, his mind racing to try to figure out how kissing was supposed to go. But before he could come up with a plan, their lips were connected. He shut his eyes and did his best to follow her lead, trying to focus on how it felt.

It was...rough. She was pressing against him too hard, moving too quickly. Her tongue prodded at his lips and, not used to the sensation, he let out a small gasp, inadvertantly granting her access. He tried to backtrack, but her nails were digging into his back of his head, keeping him in place until she was done.

Andrew gasped for breath once he was released, keeping his eyes down. He knew his cheeks were burning, that everyone was staring at him, that the triumphant laugh coming from Gabbie was accompanied by a proud grin. 

"My turn!" Matt suddenly called out next to him.

Andrew peeked up, realizing that the moment had passed, that no one else was focusing on him anymore.

Except Garrett. He was still watching at him, a sad look in his eyes. Pity, almost. Again, Andrew turned his attention back on the ground in front of him, his hand itching to snap the rubber band around his wrist.

Luckily, as the game continued, the bottle continued to land on everyone except him. That was, until it was Garrett's turn.

The group whooped and whistled at the idea as the bottle settled, pointing straight at Andrew. He swallowed, shifting nervously. He didn't want to go through that public humiliation again.

"No," Garrett blurted out.

Andrew felt the atmosphere become awkward right away, everyone's sudden discomfort adding to his tenfold. "It's ok-" he started to say, but Garrett shook his head.

"No, I think we should stop."

Caleb cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Okay, buddy. Maybe we can-"

"No!" Gabbie cried out. "You have to do something!"

"I'm not kissing him in front of you," Garrett grumbled to her. Andrew heard him loud and clear, though.

"Come on!" Gabbie continued. "No one's gonna think you're gay or anything."

Andrew saw Garrett's fingers twitch at the comment, but he didn't say anything. 

"That's not the issue," Andrew mumbled quietly, unsure if he wanted to be heard or not. He just wanted Garrett to hear, to know he supported him.

"What about, like, seven minutes in heaven?" Gabbie suggested refusing to give up. "Go in that closet and you can do nothing, but at least the game continues. We shouldn't stop having fun just because you don't wanna kiss Andrew."

"Gabbie." Andrew rarely heard Garrett sound so upset.

"It's okay-" Shan cut in.

"Yeah, we can just-" Ricky began.

But it was becoming too much for Andrew. He needed to get out of the spotlight or he knew he was going to have a panic attack. "It's fine," he blurted out, his voice strained. "Let's go, Garrett." Fists clenched, he got up and walked over to the closet Gabbie had pointed out, feeling a hint of pride for not running.

Closing the door, Andrew stumbled to the nearest empty space and fell onto his hands and knees. He crawled over until he had no more room to move and leaned against the cool wall. He shut his eyes and tried to steady his heartbeat, counting in his head.

A second later, he heard the door open and close. He felt Garrett's comforting presence moving in front of him.

"Hey," Garrett called out quietly. "I'm sorry about...all of that." Andrew opened his eyes to see his friend sitting in front of him, scraping a nail over the flooring between them dejectedly. "I didn't want to drag you into...well, being perceived like me."

"I don't care about that."

Garrett glanced up and smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're a good friend, Andrew. Still, I'm sorry it escalated like that."

Andrew shrugged, hoping he came off as nonchalant. "It's okay. I'm actually glad to be able to get away for a bit. There was just...too much going on out there."

"Ya," Garrett breathed out. "You okay?"

Andrew nodded. "I will be."

"Good." Garrett's smile shone fully on his face this time before he looked back down at the floor. A few seconds of silence passed over them before Garrett began laughing. "So that kiss, huh?"

Andrew flushed. "Wh-what about it?"

"How was it?" By the glint in Garrett's eye, he knew exactly how it was. "It was your first one, right?" They both knew it was. 

Andrew shook his head, feeling a second wave of embarrassment as he relived the moment. "Um, yeah. It was..." He tried hard to think of a positive descriptor, but he couldn't lie to Garrett. "Is all kissing like that?" he settled on asking, brow furrowed in disappointment.

Garrett giggled, not unkindly. "Nah. I think Gabbie was just so excited to finally have her hands on you."

That made Andrew uneasy. "Oh," was all he could muster out.

"She really likes you, you know," Garrett continued.

Andrew's nose wrinkled, still uncertain. "Does she? I feel like she's all over you as much as me."

Garrett chuckled. "I'm more like a challenge to her. She'll stop if I ever react to her the way she wants me to. But of course, I never will."

Andrew nodded. "How am I different?"

"Because you _have_ reacted to her and she still talks about you like you're...the moon on earth."

"I don't think that's a phrase," Andrew giggled, before turning serious again. "Do I? React?"

Again, Garrett laughed like he had all the answers to the universe. "Ya, man. Your eyes follow her when she walks by and drift toward her purposely exposed skin. She notices that, I promise you."

"Oh." Andrew blushed and looked down. It was hard _not_ to notice Gabbie most days. 

"Do you like her, then?" Garrett asked.

Andrew hesitated. Did he? "I don't know," he answered honestly. Garrett didn't respond right away, and when he looked up he saw that he was studying him. 

Garrett cleared his throat, glancing away. "That's okay. Maybe not, though, if you didn't enjoy kissing her." His voice raised up and laughter bubbled over as if he was just teasing Andrew, but it didn't quite hit the mark.

"I-I dunno-" Andrew stammered. "I probably just wasn't prepared for it." Garrett shrugged and another silence fell over them. Andrew's thoughts stayed on the topic of kissing though, and he remembered that it wasn't a new thing for Garrett. "Was your first kiss good?" he asked quietly.

Garrett's eyes lit up. "Honestly, yeah. It was great. I wish I actually followed through with meeting him again."

Andrew felt his chest tighten and he reached for his rubber band. "I'm glad you didn't," he mumbled.

"Jealous, Siwicki?" Garrett goaded good-naturedly.

Andrew giggled. "No. But you know how worried I was the first time when you said you were going to meet a stranger you met _online_."

Garrett let out an exaggerated sigh. "You know I have enough weapons to defend myself if needed."

"Well-"

"And where else would I find another gay guy? Certainly not at school."

"Ya, I guess-"

"But that's not the point, is it? Focus, Andrew! Sure, my first kiss was good, but I've heard that's not the case for most people. Because you just don't know what you're doing!"

Andrew rolled the rubber band between his fingers. "Maybe next time it'll be better," he mused hopefully. "As good as yours."

"I'd offer to help, but-" Garrett joked with an amused grin.

Andrew's eyes widened. That sounded like a brilliant idea. "Would you?"

Garrett's smile fell. "What?"

"Kiss me?" A voice in the back of Andrew's mind told him exactly why this was actually a pretty bad idea, but he didn't seem to hear it.

Garrett's eyes narrowed as he looked over Andrew's face, the skepticism painted clearly on his own. "Are you sure? You're not gay."

"I know." Andrew began to tug on his rubber band, though he didn't release the elastic. "And I also know kissing you doesn't mean I am." Garrett continued to stare at him, and he stared back. Around anyone else, he knew he wouldn't have continued this conversation so confidently. 

"Are you...asking me to kiss you?" Garrett finally just asked bluntly, disbelieving.

"I-" Andrew blushed. "I guess. Only if you want to, though. I just, uh, don't want to leave this party with only a kiss I didn't enjoy." Andrew flushed at the implication, but he wasn't sure how to exactly explain why he felt like he wanted this. He just wanted something good to come from tonight. "I trust you," he added weakly.

That seemed to work. Garrett let out a breath and nodded. "It doesn't mean anything," he whispered, drawing closer. Andrew nodded mutely, unsure of who he was trying to reassure.

Andrew's eyes fluttered shut as he felt Garrett's fingers creep along his chin. Then, he felt the ghost of a kiss upon his lips and he let out a light sigh. 

Encouraged, Garrett applied more pressure and Andrew did the same, doing his best to follow along. Surely this is what he imagined when he thought about kissing a girl - soft and yielding lips, a gentle touch.

The kiss ended as quickly as it started. Garrett pulled away, his eyes wary, and they both looked at each other, letting what just happened sink in. Then giggles began to spill out, and neither boy was sure who started it. 

"How was it?" Garrett asked between heaves of laughter.

"Much better," Andrew gasped out, eyes beginning to water.

Suddenly, the closet door opened and a flood of light fell over them. Gabbie was standing there, a hand on her hip. "Alright, lovebirds. Stop laughing at whatever joke you think is funny. Time's up."

Garrett stuck his tongue out playfully before scrambling to his feet. He turned back to Andrew and held a hand out.

Andrew reluctantly took it. As much as he enjoyed spending time with his friends, he much rather would have stayed in the closet with Garrett.


	5. Eighteen

Half an hour after he got there, Andrew sent Garrett a message saying he was at the tree, the one they often spent time at in Garrett's neighborhood. He let out a half-hearted chuckle at the immediate, confused response. He never went there by himself; there was only so many minutes he could stand staring at the same leaves and clouds before he got bored. He was never bored with Garrett around, though. 

He decided to go to the tree alone because he needed time to think. He needed time to feel fully overwhelmed by all the emotions he was feeling today. And now he needed Garrett - his best friend, the one he always talked things through with and bounced ideas off of, the one he told almost everything to, the one he-

"Andrew!"

Andrew jumped at the sudden noise, but his mouth fell naturally into a smile at the sight of Garrett nearly frolicking toward him. "Hey."

Garrett stopped and squatted down next to Andrew, letting out a heavy breath. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," Andrew murmured, knowing that's not what Garrett had meant.

Still, Garrett's beamed at him and Andrew felt much better. "Well, here I am."

"Uh, I have some news," Andrew said, knowing there was no reason to stall any longer. Garrett settled down, crossing his legs, and dropped his head into his hands. He stared at him expectantly, a wide grin on his face, and Andrew's mind froze for just a second. He didn't want to lose this expression of pure happiness. "Do you want the bad news or good news first?"

Garrett's smile faltered and so did Andrew's heart. "I guess get the bad news out the way."

"Gabbie and I broke up."

"Oh no." Andrew couldn't help but notice the brief upward twitch of Garrett's lips and he wondered what it meant. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"It was a mutual thing. She said she felt like I didn't love her. Or, not as much as she loved me. And I, uh, agreed."

Garrett considered before speaking carefully. "I'm sorry. She's a good friend, but I did always think you deserved someone better than her."

Andrew nodded. "Ya."

"Well, what's the good news?" Garrett demanded, his grin returning.

Andrew appreciated that his excitement didn't seem forced. "I heard back from Illinois State." Garrett's smile somehow grew even wider. "I got in."

A strange squeak escaped Garrett as he began to shake in excitement. "Andrew!" he squealed. He raised a hand up and Andrew mirrored him, accepting his high five.

The slap was resounding. Andrew hissed in pain and drew back, cradling his hand on the other. "Jeez, man," he mumbled.

Garrett let out an apologetic laugh. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just so happy for you! And so damn proud. I told you you'd get in!"

Andrew smiled at him, but it was hard for him to feel the same level of joy. "Thanks, man," he murmured.

Garrett cocked his head at him, realizing their energies were still different. "What's wrong? Don't tell me your not going. That's your top choice!"

Andrew nodded and looked away. He felt his throat begin to close up. "I know," he choked out. "But this means I won't be going to UCLA with you."

"Andrew," Garrett scolded kindly. "That's okay. You're just going off to college, not war. You can always come back. And I'll visit, too!"

Andrew felt his lips tug upward at the idea. "I mean, ya. I dunno. I'm just gonna miss you a lot." He felt a stinging sensation begin to form behind his eyes.

"I'll miss you, too. But I'm not worth you missing out on a good psych program."

Andrew wanted to object, but he didn't. He just swallowed back his tears and nodded.

"I think my biggest concern - which I didn't bring up before because I didn't want you to not go for it - is if you'll be okay. With your dad probably still there, I mean."

Andrew knew Garrett was worried for him the moment he said he wanted to go back, but he was right that he hadn't voiced it so bluntly before. "I'll be okay," he promised. "The restraining order is still in place. And I'm an adult now - technically. He's not as scary as he was when I was a kid."

Garrett nodded and placed a hand on Andrew's knee. "If you need me, I'll be there right away. No matter what." 

Garrett's eyes shone with a sincerity that made Andrew almost succeed in breaking down and crying. His mind told him to say something - a thank you, at least - but he didn't. Instead, he leaned forward until their lips were touching.

Garrett's hand tightened on his knee in shock, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he took Andrew's face in his other hand and deepened the kiss, but still with a sense of hesitancy.

Andrew reached out to grip his shirt, tug him closer, hoping it would suffice in showing how much he wanted this. It seemed to do the trick and they didn't separate until they had to gasp for air.

"Andrew?" Garrett breathed out, questioningly.

"I like you so much," Andrew confessed quietly, still holding onto Garrett's shirt. 

"I-I like you, too."

"I wish I told you earlier. Before I had to leave for Illinois." Andrew shut his eyes and mentally kicked himself for being so stupid.

Garrett took Andrew's hand in his own, unhooking it from the fabric, and began to run his fingers over the lines of his palm. "You make it sound like you're leaving tomorrow," he laughed. "We haven't even graduated yet. We have time."

"Oh." Andrew realized that Garrett had a point. He focused on Garrett's touch and he couldn't help but relax. "Do you, uh, think we'll survive a long distance relationship?" he asked tentatively. "If-if that's what you want, I mean. I don't want to assume, but-"

Garrett grinned, his eyes shining. "Yes, to both. Now that I know you like me like this, I'm not letting you go without a fight." Garrett winked and brought Andrew's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to his open palm. 

Andrew bit his lip to try to dilute his own grin. "But what if at college, you find a guy that's better than me?" he whined, though even he could hear the lack of concern in his voice.

Garrett blew air out of his closed lips, rolling his eyes playfully. "As if. And what about you, all the way in cold Illinois? Finding someone else to snuggle with? You just have to worry about other guys, but apparently I'm competing against guys _and _girls!"__

__Andrew giggled. "Ya, that's true. But to be honest, there's only one Garrett Watts. And I'd be a fool to replace him with anyone else."_ _

__Garrett's face twisted with emotion and he let go of Andrew long enough to take his face in his hands. He brought their foreheads together and both boys let out a light sigh of contentment._ _

__"And there's only one Andrew Siwicki," Garrett murmured. "And I'd be a fool to ever let him go."_ _

__Andrew closed his eyes, feeling almost lightheaded. He didn't expect to admit his feelings to this extent when he invited Garrett to their tree, but here they were. It was always hard for Andrew to wear his heart on his sleeve so prominently; he had only truly done so in front of Garrett, and only a few times._ _

__But sitting here now, feeling Garrett's touch, he was glad he let himself be vulnerable in this moment. His heart was swelling with love and utter appreciation for the boy in front of him, the boy who was so willing to accept the new kid with open arms, as their lips gravitated toward each other once more._ _


End file.
